Residents warned to check licenses as two Stroud men plead guilty to fly tipping

Residents warned to check licenses as two Stroud men plead guilty to fly tipping

Published:
Tuesday, 26 June, 2018

Two Stroud residents who illegally dumped waste - which included asbestos - have been sentenced by magistrates.

In November 2016 Stroud District Council was alerted to an incident of fly tipping in Ryeford Industrial Estate, Stonehouse, which included household waste, furniture and asbestos sheeting and piping.

Cheltenham Magistrate's Court heard how Oliver Edwards made contact on Facebook with a woman after she appealed for someone to remove household rubbish from her home in Cashes Green, Stroud. Around the same time, Nicholas Smith had been employed to remove asbestos roof tiles by a resident in Leonard Stanley, who responded to an advert in a local newspaper advertising a range of property maintenance services including asbestos removal.

A van hired by Nicholas Smith was used to collect both the household rubbish from Cashes Green and the asbestos from Leonard Stanley, which was all later dumped in Stonehouse.

The vehicle’s tracking device linked its movements with the locations of the dumped waste, and also proved that it did not visit any licensed asbestos depots during the period of hire.

Oliver Edwards was charged with running a waste operation without a permit, and knowingly causing others to do the same, in Cashes Green.

Nicholas Smith was charged with running a waste operation without a permit in Cashes Green and running a waste operation without a permit in Leonard Stanley, and depositing controlled waste at Ryeford Industrial Estate without a permit.

Both men pleaded guilty to all counts brought against them. Oliver Edwards was given a 3 year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £320 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Nicholas Smith, as the driver of the vehicle received a sentence of 4 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months on condition that he carries out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 plus £500 compensation to Stroud District Council and a victim surcharge of £115.

"Clearly it is not acceptable for anyone to dump waste illegally and the council takes fly-tipping very seriously. Further, it should be noted that we all have a shared responsibility for our district and it’s important that householders think carefully before getting someone else to dispose of any type of waste."

A Stroud District Council spokesman added:

"The first and best course of action for residents is to recycle their waste, either by putting it in the correct recycling containers or by taking it to a charity shop. It takes time, but is better for the environment. If you do employ someone else to dispose of waste for you then it it’s your responsibility to check that they have a valid Waste Carriers Licence.

If you employ someone to dispose of asbestos you can check whether they are licensed on the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association website www.arca.org.uk”